


Sail

by orphan_account



Series: The Chronicles of Shipping [1]
Category: Smosh
Genre: Awkwardness, Break Up, Co-workers, Dalivia, Defy Shutdown, Drama & Romance, Friends to Lovers, Koah, Mentions of Sex, Multi, Party, Smosh is Homeless, shartney, shaymien - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 12:16:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20742068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Shayne and Damien's breakup is only the beginning of this wild romance roller coaster!Now updated to make more sense!





	1. Shayne

**Author's Note:**

> So, heads-up: the chapter titles are the character's POV. This is a really crappy fanfic, the first one I started. I set myself up for some fanfic failures here and there, but overall, I'm pretty happy with the story. Enjoy!

“I know how hard this must be for you, with being gone for the  _ Goldbergs _ shooting and no-one being sober enough to console you, but I want you to know that the whole squad will be here for you when you need us,” Courtney soothed. Not that Shayne needed it. He wasn’t as frantic as Ian and Matt were, but was definitely worried about his career.

“Thanks, Court, I was actually wondering if we could all go out and grab lunch tomorrow. We can go to like, I don’t know, somewhere cheap considering we don’t have a regular source of income at the moment.” Shayne and Courtney were sitting on his couch in his small apartment. A bad rom-com was playing on the TV, but they weren’t watching.

“That sounds great. I’m still pretty pissed Defy just shut down on us.” Just as Courtney finished her sentence, Shayne’s phone rang with its stupid ring tone:  **Dominoes? You’re my favorite pizza place! Domin-**

“Hey Dames, what’s up?” Shayne asked, smiling as bright as the sun. Damien always made him the happiest man in the world. He was hanging with Court and felt bad that he had to interrupt, but it was his boyfriend, a call he had to take until he found out whether it’s important or not. Damien sounded heartbroken, his voice thick with tears.

“Hey, sorry man, but,” Damien exhaled. Shayne’s gut clenched. Something wasn’t right. He just couldn’t place his finger on it… “Man, I’m just not feeling it anymore. The shippers are gonna go crazy, and so are we, but, I can’t do it. I guess I’m just not gay. And I know you aren’t exactly either, but it worked didn’t it?” Damien chuckled nervously. “I don’t know why I’m running my mouth, and I feel really bad for doing this over the phone, but I can’t stand to see you cry. And trust me, I’ve been crying a lot these past few days as well. I’m sorry your world is crashing down on you right now. I wish I could make it better for both of us. Friends?” Shayne was silently bawling now, and Courtney looked as if she were about to take the phone and verbally murder Damien.

“Yeah. Friends,” Shayne replied, voice cracking with every sound. He hung up and broke down, tears spilling hotter than the L.A. sun. 

“I’d smash that phone if we still had jobs to pay for a new one. What the heck happened?” Her forehead was creased with worry. 

“D-Dam-”

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But I’m here if you need me,” Courtney added. Shayne somehow knew that she shared his pain, seeing him like this. He wiped away his tears and took deep breaths as Courtney unconsciously rubbed his thigh.

“Damien- he- we broke up.” Courtney gasped, eyes wide with surprise.

“But-” Shayne chuckled like a maniac who didn’t know what to do.

“Of course, right when we don’t have to hide it from Defy anymore, we could come out of the dark about it, it’s over. Just like,” Shayne exhaled, “that.” Even Court’s eyes seemed a bit shiny.

“That’s horrible, Shayne. And you were already going through quite a bit, I mean, we all were. But this is a whole new level. You guys were like soulmates! The shippers are gonna flip!” It was almost as if she'd heard Damien’s whole monologue.

“That’s what he told me.” Courtney had long since realized that she was rubbing Shayne’s leg and stopped, but suddenly Shayne discovered that he missed it. It soothed him. “And maybe we weren’t soulmates, just best friends. Maybe I was confused.” Shayne stared into space. It was around a minute before Courtney decided to do something about it.

“Should we tell Olivia? Keith? Noah?” She asked, knowing the answer immediately after.

“No. That’s Damien’s job. He told me, he’ll tell the rest.” Shayne just didn’t want to relive this moment EVER again. Courtney’s telepathic side kicked in yet again.

“You never want to go through this again, I can tell.” Shayne let out a wimpy chuckle.

“Was that a question?” Court Bourt giggled. “You want something to drink? I could use a beer or two right now,” Shayne offered. Courtney let out another psycho giggle, which Shayne took as a yes. He could already tell that tonight would get better. 


	2. Noah

“Oh my god. No!” Noah just wouldn’t believe it. Sitting in the corner at Starbucks, drinking his coffee, finally getting over his hangover (stupid after-party), he just couldn’t get his mind over the terrible timing of the Shaymien break up. Only the squad knew about their relationship, and now that Defy’s “no dating coworkers” rule is no longer in effect, it’s over.

“I figured Shayne would have told you by now, but yeah. He didn’t seem to be crying, but his voice has never sounded so horrible when he said, and I quote, ‘Yeah. Friends.’ I cried so much the days leading up to it, but I just couldn’t keep hiding my true feelings. I was slowly dying inside.”  _ Why is Damien telling me this? _ Noah thought.  _ Why is he pouring out his feelings? Why me? Has he or will he tell Keith all of this?  _ Speaking of Keith, he was calling.

“Hey man, Keith's calling, I gotta take this.”

“Okay. Bye Noah.”

“Bye.” He hung up and answered Keith's call. “Hello this is No, Uh, Gross, the drag queen, how may I help you?” He was hardly able to keep from laughing as he recited his drag name. Keith didn’t hold back his chuckle, though.

“I can see you.” Keith giggled. Noah sat in silence, confused, and, at the same time, somewhat alarmed.

“Excuse me?” Noah then saw someone standing in front of him and looked up to see Keith. They both hung up, not breaking eye contact.

“I literally walked out of the bathroom and saw you, so I decided to call rather than just walk up. I don't know, I thought it’d be funny.”

“Maybe a little.” Noah smiled and gestured for Keith to sit next to him.

“Wait, I think I left my coffee in the bathroom!” And with that, Keith sped off, leaving Noah, worried that his coffee would drip out of his nose as he started laughing hysterically. An older lady turned to him.

“Are you okay, young man?” She asked.

“Yeah, my best friend left his coffee in the bathroom. I don’t understand why he would bring it with him,” Noah was barely able to speak. It was a wonder he could even make a sound at all.

“Oh.” The lady turned around, chuckling.

“I’m back!” Keith wheezed, also in hysterics as he set down his cup and fell into the chair next to Noah.

“Why the f*ck would you take your coffee to the bathroom?” Noah asked, still trying to regain his breath. “You weren’t just drinking it while you did your business, right?” Keith laughed even harder at Noah's last two comments.

“No, I didn’t want it to get stolen! And no, I set it down next to the sink first!”

“But it could still get stolen!”

“Quit nagging me Noah, I’m probably still hungover right now!” Keith teased. His eyes twinkled, a look Noah knew only happened when he looked at him. Keith leaned forward, and Noah started hoping, but Keith just started whispering. “You heard about Shaymien?”

“Yeah, Damien called about it, and I hung up on him when you called.”

“Oh. Sorry man, you didn’t have to do that.”

“Nah, he told me the news already, so he just started getting weird and was telling me his emotions and how he felt like he was dying inside. You pretty much saved me from an awkward situation. I’m thankful for your perfect timing.” Keith wasn’t all smiles anymore, though, being Keith, Noah knew he appreciated the compliment. Instead, he looked like a mix of nervousness and distraction.  _ What could that be? _

“That’s me, your knight in shining armor.” Noah blinked, and Keith pressed his lips to Noah’s so fast that he didn’t know what was happening until Keith grabbed his hand. Unfortunately, he knocked over Noah’s coffee in the process, causing it to spill all over his pants. Keith pulled away suddenly. “I’m so sorry, my bad, I-”

“No, I enjoyed every bit of it. The coffee’s warm too.” They both smiled. “Also, these are the pants I wore yesterday, I just slept in this. On the couch. I was probably out in like, ten minutes tops. Why am I being so weird?” Noah whispered the last part under his breath, but he knew the answer. The love of his life just kissed him.  _ Holy sh*t, _ he thought. 

“Hey, uh, after I help you clean up and get you a new coffee, can you drive me home? I don’t want to spend my life savings on Ubers,” Keith explained.

“You can just come to my place. I mean, we don’t work today,” Noah suggested, “and it would just be easier anyway.” 

“Sounds good. What was your order?” Noah smiled.

“No need. I didn’t like it anyway, and you saved me once again, but this time, from a disgusting coffee. Let’s just go. I’ll change when we get home.” The two stared at each other, all smiles and twinkly eyes. Noah pulled out his keys as they walked to his car. When they got there though, instead of going home, they looked into each other’s eyes for a few seconds and kissed again. And again. And several times before Keith broke off, giggling as he tried to catch his breath. Noah drove home with many ideas on how to spend the day.


	3. Olivia

“Liv, I’m not supposed to tell you this, Shayne told me not to, but-” Olivia rolled her eyes as she interrupted her BFF. Courtney sounded jittery as if she were worried that Shayne would wake up immediately and hear her.

“Don’t worry, Damien filled me in.” Sitting on her couch, she dreamed of Damien himself, and for some reason, she liked it. It had become a new favorite past time.  _ But why the h*ll, Olivia? _ She asked herself.

“Okay, well, Dames called me too, and he told me something I’m also not supposed to tell you!” This time, Court Bourt didn’t sound jittery. She sounded playful, and was that… a hint of flirtatiousness?

“What is it?” Olivia wasn’t sure if she sounded more bored or intrigued, because knowing Courtney, the news could be one or the other.

“Dames said he’s in love with you!” As Olivia dropped the phone, her thumb slipped, and, thank god, turned it on speaker.  _ OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! _ Her mind screamed. She didn’t know which feeling was more overpowering, the surprise or joy. She was barely able to keep her voice steady.

“Really?”

“Yes!” Courtney breathed. She often teased Olivia about Damien and how they should hook up, but now it could happen!

“Yes!” Olivia whispered. Somehow, Courtney must have heard it.

“Ooooooooooooooooooooh, you like him!” How did Courtney have so much volume without yelling?

“Maybe, I don’t know?!” Olivia was confused and, well, just about everything else she had felt so far that day.

“When did this start?” Court asked, a hint of suspicion in her melodic voice.

“Look, it’s not my fault they broke up! I haven’t even spoken to Damien since the after party!”

“Well, Damien claimed that he had been really upset leading up to it, so it wasn't just a spontaneous decision! I believe you, Liv, and while I think you two are a match made in heaven, you should wait. Let Shayne get over it before you start dating his ex.”

“Of course! I’ll never do anything to hurt Shayne, or any of you, for that matter, even if it hurts me more!”

“Oh Liv, if anything ever hurts, you have to tell me.”

“Of course, Courtney.” She regretted what she said. It just didn’t seem like her. But at the same time, she was uncontrollably, utterly, head over heels for Damien. She was confused and mixed up inside. “Are we cute together?” Her question was weird coming off her tongue, but she had to know.

“No duh! He’s sooooo you’re type! He’s like the anime gamer balance to you’re sophisticated vlogger style!” Olivia just smiled. Oh yes, she was definitely in love. But she only realized it when Damien poured out his feelings to her in his timid, nervous voice, as if he was going to confess his love for her, but changed his mind. Suddenly, a new voice appeared on the line. Very faint, but there.

“What the h*ll, Courtney? I only took that call last night because it was Dames,” Shayne accused Courtney. “Who are you talking to? And what about?”

“Geez, nosy b*tch! We’re talking about girl stuff!” Olivia teased.

“Shayne stop!” Courtney begged.

“Ooooh, are you on your period?”

“Ew Shayne, no! I’m not ‘cause she’s not!” Courtney answered. Olivia felt really awkward.

“Um, yeah.”

“See Shayne, you made Olivia uncomfortable! You should never treat a girl like that!” Courtney teased Shayne. He let out a tired laugh.

“Y’know, constant teasing is a sign of love,” Olivia stated matter-of-factly.

“Shut up, Olivia!” Shayne joked. Olivia could tell he didn’t mean it, but she felt bad since he had just broken up with his boyfriend, and she had a crush on him. Shartney was probably the second most popular ship after Shaymien.

“Sorry!”

“It’s fine, Shayne’s just being a b*tch this morning. He hasn’t had any coffee yet.”  
“Yeah, I’d make some if I had any. Besides, it’s almost noon, should we all go out for lunch?” Shayne suggested.

“Yeah, with Koah?”

“Uuuuh-” Shayne and Courtney started in unison, but Olivia realized her mistake and cut them off.

“Sorry, I meant Keith and Noah. I haven’t heard anything from them, and I’m actually kinda surprised.”

“Yeah, um, Mickey D’s?” Shayne asked.

“Mickey D’s!” The girls confirmed.

“I’ll call Keith,” Olivia volunteered.

“Noah. See you at noon?” Olivia was down. But, she didn’t have a chance to talk since Shayne objected.

“Nah, as I said earlier, it’s almost noon already, and we haven’t showered or dressed or whatever you girls do.”

“Okay, one,” Courtney countered.

“One,” Shayne agreed.

“One.”


	4. Courtney

Courtney was going to take a quick shower, but when Shayne told her the guest room had a bath, she took the offer.  _ Now I can put my phone on speaker and talk to Noah, therefore saving time, _ Courtney thought. So here she was, relaxing in a hot bubble bath courtesy of Shayne Topp while chatting with Noah about some exciting news.

“Yeah, Keith’s here, he just answered Liv’s call a few minutes ago. He’s in the kitchen right now, so he has peace and quiet.”

“Sweet. Uh, the rest of us are going to McDonald’s at one, you down?”

“Of course! Keith said he’d go. Liv asked as soon as he answered.” Classic Olivia Sui.

“Oh, do you want to hear what happened at Starbucks this morning? It’s so good, you know you wanna hear it!”  _ Woah,  _ Courtney’s brain practically wheezed,  _ calm down, Noah! _ Sometimes, Courtney wishes she was telepathic.

“Jesus, Noah, calm down. Tell me, but slow and calm.” 

“Okay.” Noah inhaled to calm his nerves and told the story smoothly. “So, I was at Starbucks, and Damien called me with ‘the news’.”

“I’m not surprised. Shayne didn’t want to go through that moment again, so he left it to Damien to spread the news.”

“Makes sense. Then Keith called, and turns out he was across the room, leaving the bathroom. So we talked about ‘the news’ until he kissed me.”

“He kissed you?” Courtney almost yelled as she sat straight up in her bath, wide-eyed with shock. “You’ll be telling Shayne and Olivia this yourself!”

“Of course,” Noah reassured her, “but, he knocked my coffee over, and it got all over my pants!” Courtney burst out laughing so hard that the bathwater shook.

“What?!” She shouted, still giggling.

“Excuse me?” Shayne yelled back. Courtney giggled even more.

“Nothing!”

“Okay dummy!” Courtney laughed maniacally and heard Shayne do the same. She figured Noah would make a comment. After all, must be very confused.

“What the f*ck?”

“Sorry, I’m at Shayne’s house and he heard me shout, so of course, he had to shout back.”

“Oh. Um, well, Keith and I went to my house and I changed my clothes since I had been wearing yesterday’s, and, um, now we’re together!” Courtney shook with joy, excitement, and surprise. Probably other things too.

“OHMYGOD! That’s insane!”

“Who the h*ll are you talking to?!” Shayne yelled. Courtney just kept giggling. It was simply hilarious when Shayne was confused. “You better not be doing anything weird in there,” Shayne warned, “this is my house, after all.”

“Don’t worry Shanyé!”

“What are you doing?” Noah asked.

“I’m taking a bath. You’re on speaker.” Noah started laughing a confused sort of laugh.

“What the f*ck, Court!” Now it was Courtney’s turn. She laughed even louder than Noah did before reassuring him,

“Don’t worry, I’m getting out. Bye Noah.”  
“See you at Mickey D’s. Bye.” Noah hung up as Courtney stepped out of the bath and grabbed the towel that was set out on the vanity. She dried off before realizing she had lost her shirt. She pulled on her jeans from yesterday and tied the towel around her chest before walking into Shayne’s kitchen. He looked up from the newspaper and raised a brow.

“New trend?” Courtney chuckled nervously.

“Uh, no. I lost my shirt.”

“Are you requesting that I give you one of mine to wear?” Courtney hadn’t thought of that. She actually was wondering if Shayne could drive her home. Then she could change into fresh clothes and do her makeup. But it was about twenty ‘til one, and she just couldn’t be late for her friends.

“Um, well, that’s better than my idea, so yeah. I guess I am.” Shayne left and came back, and she made her way back to the guest bathroom. She examined the burnt sienna colored sweater that was spread out on the bed.  _ Not bad,  _ Courtney thought,  _ could’ve been worse. _ She slipped it on, pulled an old blow dryer out of a drawer, and dried her hair. She pulled on her no-show socks and white Vans, then headed out to the kitchen again. She smiled confidently as Shayne looked up at her. The sweater-shirt looked oversized on her, but in a good way. “New trend,” Courtney recited. Shayne smiled.

“Not bad. Ready?”

“Ready.”


	5. Shayne

When Shayne and Courtney got to McDonald’s, Noah and Keith were already sitting down in a corner booth, playing some sort of card game.  _ That’s odd, _ he thought

“C’mon,” Shayne told Courtney as they walked over. “You guys ordered yet?”

“Nah, we decided to wait for the rest of y’all.” Keith raised a brow at Courtney’s new style.

“Shayne’s shirt,” She answered his unspoken question. Shayne blushed as Keith nodded. “What are you playing?”

“War. I showed Keith how to play at my house, and he’s been obsessed ever since,” Noah responded, not looking up from the game.

“Yo, you guys gotta try it!” Keith exclaimed. Shayne and Courtney slid into the other side of the booth and watched as Noah explained the rules.

“So it’s a long game,” Shayne assumed.

“Most of the time.”

“And some decks don’t have joker cards, which is the biggest card,” Keith stated.

“What do you do if you two draw the same card?” Courtney questioned.

“WAR!” Keith thundered in a demonic voice. Noah explained a war.

“But what if-” Courtney started, but Noah interrupted.

“Another war until there’s a winner.”

“What’s happening here?” Oliva asked as she tried to squeeze into Shayne and Courtney’s booth. Shayne screamed a quieter version of his infamous one.

“Hey, pull up a chair!” he exclaimed as Olivia pushed him into Courtney, who was pushed into the wall. Olivia rolled her eyes and stole a chair from a nearby table. “Weird,” Shayne mumbled loud enough for only Courtney to hear. She giggled. He liked that sound. He decided to try more jokes today, lift everyone’s spirits, even just a bit. Even Damien can’t bring Shayne down that much. “How about you guys go order and I’ll stay here so no-one takes our table.”

“Yeah. What do you want?” Shayne thought for a second. He stared at Court’s eyes, and he swore he saw them water for a second. “Shayne?” He shook his head as he came back to reality.

“Uh, sorry, the ten-piece nuggets, fries, and a soda. I’ll get some Coke when you guys come back.” Shayne handed Courtney a ten-dollar bill. Courtney covered her mouth and imitated a drive-thru operator.

“Okay, I’ve got a ten-piece Chicken McNuggets, small fry, and a Coke. Will that be all for today?” They both laughed.

“Uh, yeah.” Court smiled and walked away to catch up with Oliva and the boys, who were hand-in-hand, leaving Shayne alone with only his thoughts. Which were mostly about Damien, his job, the squad, and well, Courtney. She was able to comfort him when Damien left, and he has been doing great since then. She always makes him laugh, whether her jokes are good or not. Shayne’s left side still tingled where Courtney’s body was squished up against him. 

“Earth to Shayne, are you there?”  
“Huh, oh what?” Court Bourt caught him off guard. He silently prayed he hadn’t been saying anything aloud.

“I was saying your name over and over again, here’s your cup dumb*ss!” Courtney tossed the little cup at Shayne, who barely caught it. He walked over and filled it with who knows what, Shayne wasn’t paying attention, he just hoped it had caffeine. When Shayne returned to the table, everyone else was already sitting down. He slid into the booth next to Courtney just as the employee delivered their meal. 

“Cheap sh*t, here I come!” Keith whispered enthusiastically. Everyone laughed.

“So, Noah, have you told Shayne the news?” Noah and Keith smiled as Shayne gave them a confused frown. The happy couple proceeded to kiss, and Shayne’s jaw dropped.

“Wow, congrats guys!” As happy as Shayne was for them, he couldn’t help but feel a pit in his stomach. Everyone around him seemed to be in love. Two teenagers across the restaurant each took a bite out of opposite sides of a Big Mac. Two elderly people talked and sipped their coffee. Two businesswomen held hands as they discussed weekend plans. Shayne felt his shoulders sag and immediately pulled them back up.  _ No, _ he thought,  _ I won’t let them see my misery. This is their happy moment, I’ll keep it that way. _ Unfortunately, Shayne didn’t realize that Courtney had seen his split-second wave of sadness. She momentarily looked worried, but then laughed even though she couldn’t possibly have heard Keith’s joke. They all chatted and ate their meal before going back up for chocolate-dipped ice cream cones. Well, apparently those were discontinued a while ago. “Do they ever get anything fixed or removed from the menu?” Shayne whispered in Courtney's ear as Noah ordered a frozen mocha frappe.

“And for you?” The register operator must have caught Court off guard because she jumped a little. “Sorry,” she apologized.

“You’re fine, um, I’d like an ice cream cup with hot fudge, please.”

“Make that two,” Shayne added. The squad paid and went back to their table where Keith sat watching the kids in the ball pit.

“One of them crapped his pants,” Keith giggled as a stinky kid with mushy brown stuff all over him ran past. Everyone burst out laughing. “Another one got his leg stuck in a hole in the wall, and he pissed himself. An employee walked past while talking on his walkie-talkie headset thingy and was like, ‘I think we got a sticky situation in the kid's place.’ But he said it so nonchalantly like it happens every day!” 

“It probably does,” Olivia added. Shayne took the opportunity to get some laughs.

“Mommy! I sh*t in the ball pit! Now all the kids get a free meal!” Shayne exclaimed in a higher-pitched voice. The squad was in hysterics when their dessert was delivered. 


	6. Keith

Even though it was days ago, Keith still wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t a dream. Koah was real.  _ It’s about time, _ Keith thought as he got out of his Uber at Ian’s house. Ian actually got access to all the channels, so a little less than half of all Smosh members were going to record an update video. When Keith walked in, he was greeted by the squad and Boze. Shayne walked up to him laughing.

“She has to hold up the mic herself!” Shayne pointed towards Pam. Courtney must have heard.

“We’re going to record on an iPhone too!” Ian entered the living room and looked around, his eyes searching for something specific.

“Has anyone seen Damien?” Shayne’s smile faltered and the whole room got quiet as everyone’s eyes raked the room. 

“No, I have not,” Shayne awkwardly spoke, breaking the silence. Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to record without him,” Ian concluded.

“But then we only have one Smosh Games member,” Keith pointed out. He hadn’t even thought about Noah since entering Ian’s home, but once he started speaking, Keith couldn’t think of anything else.

“And with Boze’s decision to quit, it would be almost as if there were no Smosh Games members at all,” he reasoned.

“Joven?” Boze suggested. Everyone groaned sarcastically. “Wes?” Everyone turned to look at each other just as Ian’s door opened.

“Sorry I’m late, I slept in and then lost track of time ‘cause my phone died, my bad,” Damien stressfully rambled as he walked in. Olivia and Courtney looked at each other, a look Keith couldn’t quite decipher. “Why is everyone staring?” Dames asked, stopping suddenly.

“Wes,” Boze put it simply.

“Huh?” This was one of those times when Damien was almost annoying. Keith was getting impatient.

“Nothing. C’mon guys, lets record this video so we can get it edited and uploaded!” So everyone stood behind or sat on Ian’s couch as they explained the situation, discussed Smosh and Order, ranted about being unstoppable, hyped future sketches, and Keith even got to record BTS footage of the “set” on his phone. By the time they were done recording and the editing was complete, Keith felt at home again. With the squad in a familiar “studio”, he didn’t want to be anywhere else. However, they couldn’t just stay the night at Ian’s, so Keith came up with an idea.  _ As long as Damien doesn’t try to join, we’ll be all good, _ Keith thought. Not that he hated Damien. No one did. However, everyone wanted to give Shayne some time to get over it. But Keith suspected that Damien was late for reasons other than the ones he gave.  _ He couldn’t charge his phone? He doesn’t have other clocks in his house? What about the microwave? The oven? Don’t those show the time?  _ Keith asked himself.  _ Something isn’t right, and I’m gonna figure it out. Later.  _ Keith added the last thought, remembering his plan for the night. “Hey, squad!” He yelled, getting his friend’s attention. “Ian, you too!” Soon, Keith was surrounded by Noah, Olivia, Courtney, Shayne, and Ian.

“What’s up, bae?” Noah asked, making everyone giggle.

“Shut up,” Keith responded playfully. “How ‘bout we treat ourselves. Not McDonald’s,” everyone looked at Shayne as he smiled weakly, “tonight let's go somewhere special!” Everyone seemed to agree as they whispered in their little huddle.

“Thai?” Shayne suggested hopefully.

“No dummy, somewhere nice!” Courtney retorted.

“I think Thai is nice enough!” Shayne seemed intent on getting his Thai for dinner.

“Isn’t Thai like, really spicy?” Noah asked, locking his twinkling eyes with Keith’s.

“Only like, half of all Thai food is spicy. I like pad thai, it’s not spicy unless you add your own sh*t to it.” Shayne spoke as if it were a memorized monologue.

“Literally?” Olivia asked, reminding Keith that she was there.

“What do you think, Olivia?” Ian teased. “I’m not opposed to Thai, is that what we’re going with tonight?” Ian questioned. Everyone nodded and whispered among themselves.

“What’s going on?” Damien asked as the huddle split up faster than lightning. Olivia was about to speak when Shayne covered her mouth with his hand and spoke for her. Nervous and maybe even shaking, he managed to keep his voice steady as he stepped into a panic-inducing situation.

“We were discussing a secret squad video for Smosh Pit. We are not to tell others.” Damien made a weird face that Keith couldn’t describe, but luckily for them, he took Shayne's lie.

“Oh. I’ll stay out of it.”

“Thanks,” Courtney started, “for understanding.”

“Yeah, it’s good,” Damien answered as his eyes settled upon Olivia, only long enough for Keith to notice. Damien walked away to lay an arm on Boze and join her conversation with Josh and Pam. Courtney and Olivia shared a glance, this time Keith detected nervousness._ What the h*ll is goin’ on here?_


	7. Olivia

Everyone agreed to have Thai for dinner, and even Olivia was glad they were able to hide it from Damien. She almost invited him out of pity and her silly crush, but luckily Shayne stopped her with his aftermath panic.  _ I mean, it’s not right how we’re treating him, avoiding him and keeping him in the dark about literally everything. All he did was tell Shayne how he felt, and he did something about it. Damien was only taking care of himself, and now we’re shaming him for it! What the f*ck! _ But still, Olivia knew that tonight was a night for the squad and their stressed employer. They didn’t need the reason for the tension to be present on the night of releasing that tension.  _ Tonight, I’ll tell everyone how I feel about the recent events. I’ll help come up with a plan to help Shayne with his inevitable post-breakup panic attacks. Then, if I feel comfortable with it, I might tell them about my crush on Damien,  _ Olivia thought to herself as she stepped out of her car. 

“Nice place,” she mumbled.

“Hey, Liv!” Courtney called. Her car was parked a couple of spaces away, on the other side of Shayne and Noah’s cars. “We all parked together!” 

“Yeah, I just noticed that!” Olivia replied.

“What a coincidence!” At that moment, someone came and parked in the empty spot next to Olivia’s. She turned to Courtney and whispered, “Ian.” Courtney craned her neck to see. 

“Wow. Just wow.”

“Hey ladies,” Ian greeted them. The trio laughed as they walked into the restaurant. “Um, is there a Shayne Topp here tonight?” Ian asked the hostess. She pointed to the tall table with bar stools in the corner and Noah waved, causing Keith to look up from the video Shayne was showing them on his phone. He smiled. Courtney smiled back, and Liv realized she shipped it.  _ Who am I kidding?  _ She asked herself.  _ All of us have been shipped with each other in every way possible at least once,  _ she thought as her mind drifted to fanfics.  _ Ew. _ They sat down and immediately Shayne told the group, 

“This meal’s on me tonight.” 

“Aw, thank you, Shayne!” Olivia patted his shoulder, but Courtney pushed the two apart and squeezed in between them. 

“I’ll be sure to order the cheapest item.” Courtney burped. 

“Excuse me?” Liv raised her voice in order to be taken seriously.

“I always have the middle seat.”  _ Court always has such weird excuses, _ Olivia thought. 

“So are you two-” Ian looked at Noah and Keith, and they nodded. “That’s great! No more Defy, amirite?” He chuckled anxiously.

“Ian, don’t worry. Smosh will get picked up soon enough. We shouldn’t have to make more backup videos, what we have should be enough. None of us are leaving.” Courtney turned to the rest of the group. “Right?!” She yelled. Everyone nodded.

“Definitely,” Noah told Ian as he looked to Keith.

“Not a doubt in my mind,” Keith reassured.

“It’s not like I have anything better to do,” Olivia sighed sarcastically.

“Way to go, Olivia, you killed Ian!” Shayne laughed. The waitress took their order, most of the group ordering the pad thai due to its lack of spice, and they resumed their conversation.

“Guys, I’m sorry for almost spilling our plans to Damien. I just wasn’t thinking.” Olivia looked down at her hands.

“It’s fine. You were just being nice to him,” Keith assured her.

“Yeah, I think I overreacted there too.” Shayne always tried to take the blame for things. 

“But really guys, it’s not fair how we’re treating him. He didn’t do anything wrong,” Olivia pointed out. Courtney was about to speak when Shayne cut her off.

“You’re right. It’s not fair. And I’m working on it, but until then, I’m still trying to figure out what my mind wants.”

“And you’re doing a great job of it, dummy,” Courtney always tried to lighten the mood with a little teasing, and Liv didn’t hold back her giggle.  _ Not yet. I’ll wait until Shayne has gotten over it to tell everyone. _

“Can someone explain to me why Shayne’s avoiding Damien?” It seemed to click in everyone at the same second, as their faces showed sudden realization.

“Right. You didn’t know-”

“I got this, Court,” Noah stopped her. “So, we had to hide it from Defy because of the “no dating coworkers” rule, so only us four,” Noah gestured to Courtney, Keith, Olivia, and himself, “were aware. Shaymien was alive.” Ian’s jaw dropped.

“They were a match made in heaven,” Olivia spoke dreamily to cover up her true feelings. 

“Probably the most well-known fanfic topic, and the fans didn’t know it was real!” Keith added. 

“Well, what happened?” Ian prompted, probably expecting the worst. Courtney took over from there.

“I was at Shayne’s, checking in on him after the huge party, and he got a call from Dames.”

“I only took the call because he was my boyfriend, otherwise I would have ignored it. I spent so much time with him, I wanted to give my friends some time,” Shayne interrupted. Court Bourt nodded.

“And he talked for I think a solid minute, all Shayne said was-”

“Yeah. Friends.” Shayne finished.

“But it was super choked up, and I wanted to scream Damien’s head off for doing such a thing.”  
“He did what was best for him,” Olivia justified.

“Yeah, but he could have waited until Smosh got back onto its feet,” Courtney argued. How come Courtney couldn’t see the wrong? Olivia’s voice rose with anger. 

“As he told me, he couldn’t do it anymore. It was killing him from the inside.” Her voice suddenly got quiet. “Like poison.”  
“Great. I poisoned my boyfriend, and now he’s my ex. That’s a great story for Thanksgiving dinner with the family,” Shayne babbled sarcastically. The girls glared at him, causing his smile to fade.

“I’m just worried about our boi,” Courtney explained, “Because I know how hard it is for Shayne after ending a meaningful relationship. Olivia’s right though. Damien doesn’t deserve this, so we have to stop and just let it go. I can be emotional support. We should just tell Damien what's going on, and maybe he should know about-” Olivia knew what was happening. She and Courtney hadn’t discussed telling the group about her feelings.

“I don’t feel good,” Olivia blurted suddenly, causing Courtney to give her a worried glance as she sprinted for the bathroom.


	8. Courtney

_ This is all my fault. Of course she didn’t want everyone to know! What was I thinking?!  _ Courtney’s mind was lecturing her. She deserved it. She argued with Olivia in front of the whole group before she ran off to the bathroom because Court almost spilled her secret. Her eyes started to water.

“What else should Damien know about?” Ian prompted. The whole group was staring at her, worry written all over their faces.

“Nothing,” Courtney answered softly. Her head drooping to look at her hands, folded in her lap.

“Hold up, we ain’t gonna let you get away like that. You like Damien.” Keith guessed.  _ NO!  _ was her immediate answer, but what if she took the blame from Olivia?  _ I could pretend that I’m the one in love with Dames… but that might weaken my friendship with Shayne. He might suspect that I’m the reason they broke up.  _ Saving Olivia was tempting.

“Well?” Noah started, causing Courtney to come back to her senses. “You’ve been sitting there for around a minute, your eyes searching the room.”

“She invited Damien,” Keith whispered, his face showing mischief.

“NO! Why the f*ck would I do that?” She forgot Shayne was there until he spoke. He didn’t look at her, his eyes stayed on his glass of water, but she could sense the accusation.

“Because you love him.”

“No.

“I’ve never felt love. I don’t know what love is. I only know the family kind. I have no f***ing clue what you’re talking about.” Courtney sprinted to the bathroom. She entered and Oliva was glaring at her, but immediately softened when she saw Courtney’s pained expression. She hugged Courtney so tight that she couldn’t breathe.

“What happened?” She whispered, almost as if it hurt to speak.

“I took it. Not voluntarily. They all think I love Damien and Shayne sort of accused me. Ian seemed to believe me, but he didn’t say anything. Keith was just egging Shayne on, and I denied it, but-” She just couldn’t say anymore.

“They didn’t think it was me? Since I ran away?”

“No.”

“But you understood why I ran.”  
“Right. When you left, Noah asked me to continue, and when I dropped it, Keith put the idea in their heads. God, I hate him right now.” 

“I understand. I’m not mad at you anymore, either. How about I grab your food, ask for a takeout box, and we can hit a bar before you come over to my place!”

“I think we’re both overreacting. Shayne and I are friends, I’ll go back out there and we’ll be fine! The night can continue as normal!”

“Are you sure? Look, we both felt anxiety with them tonight. Sam’s out of town, come over!” Olivia begged. Court sighed.

“Fine. But I want to get my own food.” Liv raised a brow. “I don’t know, I just want to see how it all plays out.” She nodded and they walked out of the bathroom. Ian noticed her first. Their food had already been delivered, and the waitress was refilling Shayne’s water. “Hey, can I get a takeout box?” Shayne looked up as the waitress nodded. As she left, she whispered something in Liv’s ear, and she nodded.

“Checking on you,” she explained.

“You good?” Keith asked. Maybe it was too much. Maybe she was being overdramatic. But it sure felt good to see the look on Keith’s face when she flipped him off.

“She’s teasing,” Shayne tried, but Courtney turned and gave him some too. He looked just as ashamed. “Look, I’m-”

“I has nothing to do with you right now. Any of you.” The words came out harsher than she intended. Shayne looked down at his pad thai. “I’m dealing with my emotions right now.” The waitress set down the box before rushing off to clean a nearby table, barely acknowledging Courtney’s mumbled “thank you”.

“Courtney, we were-”

“Ian, it’s fine. We can all drop the subject and pretend tonight didn’t happen. I’m fine, I’ve just been trying to be there for everyone with Defy ditching us, and I need to be there for myself.” She looked down at her food to find that Olivia had already packed it up.

“Let’s go,” Courtney mumbled before she walked to her car and waited for Liv to join.


	9. Olivia

She turned to Shayne. He looked up at her sympathetically. 

“Look, I know she may seem melodramatic now, but think about how you felt when Damien broke up with you. Your emotional sensitivity multiplied to the max. Think about her.” Olivia pointed at the door. Shayne’s eyes were glossy, but he was so focused on Olivia’s words that she figured he understood every one. “No one told Damien to break up with you.” She took a few steps towards the door and stopped, turning back. “And Courtney doesn’t love Damien.” Oliva prepared for the shock - “I do.” Shayne’s eyes went wide as his mouth hung open. Noah, Keith, and Ian’s faces showed pure surprise as well.  _ Good job, _ Liv thought to herself as she left the building with both of the girl’s food.


	10. Ian

“Shayne-” Ian tried to comfort the boys. Girls can be tough, Ian knows. Especially moody Courtney. _ I’ll add that to my list of experiences, _ he thought.

“She’s right. We went too hard on them. I’m an overemotional wreck.” Shayne responded, barely picking at his pad thai.

“Well you see, It was partially Keith’s fault,” Noah brought up as he turned to Keith. “You put the idea in everyone’s head.”

“I was teasing! Shayne wasn’t supposed to take it literally!” Keith tried to convince everyone, but it sounded more like an accusation. That’s how Shayne took it.

“Well, it made sense at the time!” He shook his head. “Of course it was Olivia, she wouldn’t suddenly pretend to get sick just because!”

“How do you feel about it?” Noah asked. He was always the analytical one.

“It just makes so much sense,” Shayne answered.

“They honestly would be really cute together,” Ian added. _ Be present, _ he told himself. He could still think about getting Smosh a home, but as Courtney said, he just sat there and did absolutely nothing. _ Be an example for your young and energetic employees. _

“And Olivia’s sophistication countered by Damien’s geekiness, almost perfect.” Noah agreed.

“Perfect,” Shayne whispered, barely audible.

“But what do you think of them? If they were an item?” Ian specified. Shayne sat, just staring at nothing for a moment before answering.

“I think I want them to get together. It really would be perfect. And if he moved on, maybe it would be easier for me. Less awkward. Then Olivia would be happy, everyone around me would be happy, and I think, that’s what will make me happy.” Keith nodded, clearly approving of Shayne’s logic while Noah looked confused. Ian was just listening intently.

“So, are you over Dames, or-” Shayne hesitated again. He was putting a lot of thought into his answers, and Ian could tell that this was really different than a conversation behind the scenes.

“I guess I am. I don’t know why I have these mood swings, I

“Shayne-” Ian tried to comfort the boys. Girls can be tough, Ian knows. Especially moody Courtney.  _ I’ll add that to my list of experiences, _ he thought.

“She’s right. We went too hard on them. I’m an over-emotional wreck.” Shayne responded, barely picking at his pad thai.

“Well you see, It was partially Keith’s fault,” Noah brought up as he turned to Keith. “You put the idea in everyone’s head.”

“I was teasing! Shayne wasn’t supposed to take it literally!” Keith tried to convince everyone, but it sounded more like an accusation. That’s how Shayne took it.

“Well, it made sense at the time!” He shook his head. “Of course it was Olivia, she wouldn’t suddenly pretend to get sick just because!”

“How do you feel about it?” Noah asked. He was always the analytical one.

“It just makes so much sense,” Shayne answered.

“They honestly would be really cute together,” Ian added.

“And Olivia’s sophistication countered by Damien’s geekiness, almost perfect.” Noah agreed.

“Perfect,” Shayne whispered, barely audible.

“But what do you think of them? If they were an item?” Ian specified. Shayne sat, just staring at nothing for a moment before answering.

“I think I want them to get together. It really would be perfect. And if he moved on, maybe it would be easier for me. Then Olivia would be happy, everyone around me would be happy, and I think that's what will make me happy.” Keith nodded, clearly approving of Shayne’s logic while Noah looked confused. Ian was just listening intently.

“So, are you over Dames, or…” Shayne hesitated again. He was putting a lot of thought into his answers, and Ian could tell that this was really different than a conversation behind the scenes.

“I guess I am. I don’t know why I feel so emotionally scattered, I just do. But I really am over him, and I don’t know why I took it to a new level.”

“No one does,” Keith agreed. Ian let out a shaky laugh.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry tonight was so horrible. I wasn’t right, I made my friends upset, and now it’s just a guys night when it should have been a squad night.”

“Wanna go get drinks?” Keith suggested.

“Nah, I have a headache, and I should get some sleep. Box, please. I’ll pay now, too.” Shayne asked the waitress as she passed.

“Boxes for the rest of us as well,” Ian added, gesturing to the rest of the group. She nodded as she grabbed some empty glasses from a nearby booth. 

“Riding home with you?” Keith asked Noah, who nodded. Shayne paid, then everyone got their boxes and left. Ian drove home with his head buzzing. _What the heck happened tonight? I guess Shayne’s suddenly over Damien now, but he was upset about him moments before that. We are all a bit sleep deprived and distraught about suddenly being unemployed, so that probably isn’t helping. Courtney seemed pretty quick to snap tonight though, and Olivia speedily defended her. Those girls are inseparable sometimes, let me tell you. Joined at the hip, probably, but so were Shayne and Damien. Are Liv and Court next? Nah. They’ll probably never get together. Ever. Besides, Liv is in love with Damien. And I have my suspicions about Shartney, I always will. But like Shayne, I need sleep._ just do. But I really am over him, and I don’t know why I took it to a new level.”

“No one does,” Keith agreed. Ian let out a shaky laugh.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry tonight was so horrible. I wasn’t right, I made my friends upset, and now it’s just a guys night when it should have been a squad night.”

“Wanna go get drinks?” Keith suggested.

“Nah, I have a headache, and I should get some sleep. Box, please. I’ll pay now, too.” Shayne asked the waitress as she passed.

“Boxes for the rest of us as well,” Ian added, gesturing to the rest of the group. She nodded as she grabbed some empty glasses from a nearby booth. 

“Riding home with you?” Keith asked Noah, who nodded. Shayne paid, then everyone got their boxes and left. Ian drove home with his head buzzing. _ What the heck happened tonight? I guess Shayne’s suddenly over Damien now, but he was so upset about him moments before that. We are all a bit sleep deprived and distraught about suddenly being unemployed, so that probably isn’t helping. Courtney seemed pretty quick to snap tonight though, and Olivia speedily defended her. Those girls are inseparable sometimes, let me tell you. Joined at the hip, probably, but so were Shayne and Damien. Are Liv and Court next? Nah. They’ll probably never get together. Ever. Besides, Liv is in love with Damien. And I have my suspicions about Shartney, I always will. But like Shayne, I need sleep. _


	11. Damien

_ What do I do? _ Dames thought.  _ I corrupted Shayne, and I’m in love with Olivia. If I corrupt her too, I’ll quit Smosh. That’s how I’ll fix it. I can’t bother anyone if I don’t see them every day! Right?  _ Last time Dames was in love with a cast member (before Shayne), he knew he had to stop himself. Boze wasn’t a romantic person, still isn’t one, and will be leaving Smosh. She only created Smosh and Order for experience, something to add to her resume, but Smosh and Order was brilliant!  _ I should get up.  _ Dames was laying in his bed.  _ Last night was insane!  _ His brain yelled. He went to a bar with Boze, and later, Courtney came in with a friend.  _ Olivia. _ They all got super drunk and had a good time, but that’s all he could remember.  _ Boze seemed quiet though. Because she’s going to leave? Was that her last night out with a Games member? No. Her last day, we’ll all go out. Yeah.  _ He moaned as he propped himself up in cobra pose. Then he rolled over, not realizing he was on the edge of the bed already and fell out. He grunted. 

“Coffee.” The word barely escaped his lips. Getting up so suddenly, his vision was clouded with colored dots, and, overestimating his sight, he ran into the wall. “D*mnit!” His voice was very breathy today.  _ What the h*ll happened last night? _ Damien stood next to the Keurig and checked his phone.  _ Four texts? Already? _ They were all from Boze: 

“dude you were insaane last night!” “you there?” “Dame its like noon” “wake up buddy”  _ Wow, what time is it?  _ He checked: one fifty-four.  _ Holy crap, last night really must have been crazy!  _ He quickly responded.

“Im mawake” he sent, ignoring the typos. After fixing his coffee, he sat down and turned the TV on to whatever was on. He flipped through the channels after the weather channel came on.  _ Who watches that? _ He skipped the news, but went back after he noticed something familiar. Boze responded.

“finally! bro you were so drunk last night, i carried you to my car with hard any help from court. She wasnt much better than you” Damien could tell. He unmuted the TV.

“I say she was real drunk, no one drives like that!” a southern old lady screeched. The screen showed a picture of a black-haired woman with a familiar pair of jeans, mustard-yellow crop top, and black and white checkered Vans.  _ Courtney? Why is she on the news? People drunk drive all the time! And why was she wearing Keith’s black Marilyn Monroe wig? _ Luckily, the photo was taken from the back. The anchor started discussing the details.

“This lady hit two homeless twins and ran several stop signs, sources say.” Damien turned off the TV. He chugged half his coffee before responding to Boze’s text.

“wow lol I saw. crazy b*tch”

“not lol dames, she could get caught, wig or no!” That was the scary part. If she did get caught, she might lose her job. She might get sent to jail. That wig was protecting her identity since it was the only photo taken and her back was towards the photographer. All this thinking was giving Damien a headache, and his hangover wasn’t helping. He dialed Boze’s number.

“Damien, this is serious!” He rolled his eyes.  _ Duh. _

“I know, that’s why I called. Your typos and texting slang were killing the mood, no pun intended.”  
“I hope so. There’s nothing we can do. Her picture ended up probably online somewhere, someone gave it up to the news, and the police, so now Courtney is at risk for, well, a few things.” They were good friends. And if Shayne keeps being distant, Courtney might become his best friend and he’ll have no choice but to admit it. He was worried about her. “Guess who else is in the picture.” Damien suddenly couldn’t think of anything else. _Olivia. _What if he turned the TV off too soon? “Don’t worry, I’m texting it to you right now. The picture, I mean.” _Oh I’m worried,_ he thought, but he didn’t tell Boze that. She didn’t need to know about his feelings for a certain coworker. He got the picture, and it took a while, but he noticed the detail he had previously overlooked: himself. He was laying down behind Courtney’s car, propped up on his arms. He had on his current outfit: black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, charcoal gray beanie, and black and white Adidas shoes._ I’m looking directly at the photographer… _

“Who sent you that?” Dames had his suspicions.

“Livia. Why?”  _ Of course. That makes sense. _ But he had a faraway look in his eyes. He wouldn’t look at Olivia like that - unless he was drunk. That had to explain it.

“I’ve finally put two and two together.”

“Go on b*tch.” Boze had funny ways of showing friendship. Like name-calling.

“I’m looking right at the photographer. It had to have been you or Olivia, and you apparently weren’t as drunk as we were, so you would remember it. Olivia probably posted it online with the caption ‘friends night out’ or something while she was still influenced, and someone probably saw it and turned it in.”

“God, you’re right! Which means - the police will probably need you as a witness. They’ll likely ask you if you saw the events, and they’ll ask you to describe Courtney.”  _ Oh sh*t. I’m screwed. As much as I love LivLiv, she can be really stupid sometimes. Even if she’s drunk, what the h*ll? _ Damien heard a knock on the door and froze. “D? D? Damien, are you there?!” Boze was almost yelling.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Damien whispered before hanging up to get the door.


	12. Shayne

Damien opened the door with his face pale and terrified.  _ Is he that scared of me? _ Shayne thought as sadness washed over him.

“Hey man, I know we’ve kinda been distant since that night, but we need to do something to help Courtney.” The words came forth like a waterfall - fast and nearly unstoppable. The color slowly returned to Dames’ face.”What happened to you?” Damien didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled Shayne into a hug.

“Boze said the police would be looking for me to describe Courtney since I was in the picture. I thought you were…” He trailed off. They held each other for a second, then Shayne pulled away. 

“I didn’t see you in the picture. Were you wearing this?” A small smile crept to Damien’s lips, causing Shayne’s to twitch. It was as if they wanted to smile, but didn’t know how to anymore.

“Yeah. But Boze sent me the picture, which Olivia took and posted on probably Instagram or something. Someone must have found it and turned it in. When Boze sent it to me, I saw myself in it. See?” Damien held up his phone. Shayne did see Damien, but he held up his own phone, showing the picture he got. It must have been cropped without him because this was the photo on the news and all over the internet. Damien’s face was creased with confusion. 

“This is the one all over the internet. Maybe Olivia cropped you out. Can I come in yet?” Dames started laughing and they went inside. Damien got Shayne a cup of his favorite coffee and they started discussing last night and where their timelines intersected.

“So then the girls left, and we sat there arguing over who’s fault it was! Eventually, we left too. No one ate their food, we all took it home. I said it was my fault, which it was, but Noah insisted it was Keith’s fault. I think they’re just picking on each other. New couples, amirite?” Dames’ eyes went wide.

“They’re together?” Shayne nodded. “That’s great!” 

“Apparently it happened right after you called Noah,” Shayne specified. Damien grimaced, probably remembering the reason for that call. 

“It’s okay, Dames. Everything is going to get better.” Damien swallowed, and Shayne started wondering.  _ What’s on his mind? What’s wrong? _ He shook it off and continued.

“And the girls happened to come to the bar Boze and I were hanging out at.”

“Right.” Shayne had left out the part about Olivia’s feelings. It was her decision as to how he found out. He also left out the fact that he had pretty much hated Damien until they talked this morning.  _ I should talk to my exes more often. Maybe that will lessen scattered emotions. Why am I so bad at dating?  _ Just then, Damien’s phone rang. He pulled it out, and Shayne was able to see that it was Olivia. Damien looked up and was about to put the phone away, but Shayne knew better. “Answer.” He did, and Shayne pushed the speaker button. Damien looked at him as if to say, “do you know something I don’t?”. 

“Damien?”

“Yeah, how are you, Olivia?” Was Shayne imagining the pinkish tint to Dames’ cheeks?

“Hungover. Sorry about the picture, I took it down and cropped you out once Boze told me about the possibilities. The cropped version is the one everyone’s using, so you’re safe.” Shayne smirked and mouthed the words, “told you so”. Damien stuck his tongue out.

“Yeah, thanks. But couldn’t you leave it down?” There was silence on the other end before Olivia giggled nervously. “It’s fine, I guess. Now we just have to worry about Courtney.”

“Oh, we don’t have to worry now. I have something I need to get off my chest before it kills me.” Shayne nodded.

“What might that be, Liv?”

“I-I- I have feelings. For you. Damien,” she awkwardly confessed. Damien looked over at Shayne, his face contorted with shock. Shayne just grinned and nodded.

“I love you.” Shayne could feel the passion radiating from Dames’ phone.

“I love you too, boyfriend,” Olivia replied before hanging up. Damien set down the phone before turning to Shayne, eyes wide.

“I just got a girlfriend!”

“Yeah, you did, big boy!”  
“You knew.”

“Was that a question?” They laughed together like only best friends do.


	13. Courtney

“Oh my f***ing God, I can’t go anywhere! Great, now I talk to myself. Ugh, so hungover.” Courtney mumbled to herself. She pulled on the shirt Shayne had given her.  _ I should return this. But I don’t want to! It still smells like him. Oh God, am I that girl now?  _ She really couldn’t tell if she was in love, or if her headache was messing with her thoughts.  _ Why do I even have this? _ She thought as she pulled a key labeled “Shayne’s apartment” off the rack. She slipped it into the pocket of her Adidas sweatpants and walked out to her car.  _ It’s not that far. _ Soon enough, she was in Shayne’s driveway. She rung the doorbell. Nothing. She knocked. Nothing. Court slipped the key into the hole and the door opened quietly.  _ Wait, why am I even here?  _ “Shayne? Shayne?”  _ Oh God, did I do something?  _ Court walked around, reacquainting herself with the space, Lots of protein powder in the kitchen, books everywhere, his coffee table even had some manga she’d heard Damien talk about. She explored places she’d never seen before finding herself in Shayne’s bedroom. There were pictures of the squad, of him and Damien, and, pictures of her. Quite a few, actually. There were books, tons of books. His closet was a mess. His bathroom was relatively clean. Courtney flopped down on his bed. And closed her eyes.  _ Where could he be? _

**\----------------**

When Courtney woke up, she was hugging a pillow and the bedsheets were unfamiliar. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Shayne sitting on the other side of the queen sized bed reading  _ Fruits Basket, _ one of the mangas she had seen earlier.

“How long have you been here, sleepyhead?” He asked without looking up. Court’s face started burning with embarrassment.

“I- um- I dunno,” She mumbled as she sat up.  _ What the h*ll happened? _ He seemed to read her mind.

“I came back from Damien’s place and had lunch, then I came here to read and found you. Hiding from the police?”

“Huh? Wuh- no.” Courtney was still confused from her little nap. Shayne closed his book and set it on his bedside table. 

“So why did you come here?”

“I’m sorry, if I’m not welcome here I can totally leave,” Courtney offered, pointing towards the door as she started to get up. Shayne grabbed her hand.

“No! I- just worried about you. What brought you here? Why not-”  
“Olivia’s? You’re closer, I guess. I dunno. I had a key and I came here.” Shayne nodded. “I was hungover and just wanted something to do, someone to talk to. I asked myself the same question when I found myself on your doorstep.” 

“I’m glad you came,” Shayne admitted. Courtney just stared at his bathroom door.

“Did you take my shirt?” She wondered. He looked at her Champion shirt hanging from a hanger on his doorknob.

“Hm? Oh, no, I found it a while after you left. I’ve been meaning to give it back. Unless I can keep it-” He smiled and Courtney leaned forward to kiss him. He was caught off guard, but the shock wore off after a few seconds. She got closer and closer until she stopped suddenly and walked back into the wall, covering her mouth with her hands.

“I’m so sorry Shayne, I-”

“It’s fine, Court. Really, I’m over Damien, he and Olivia are dating and I’m happy for them, you didn’t do anything wrong.” Courtney’s hands fell to her sides and she frowned flirtatiously.

“You enjoyed it.”

“Maybe,” he answered.


End file.
